Mumbai: Man arrested for raping his minor stepdaughter

The Nalasopara police and the Bandra police, in a combined operation, arrested Mukhtar Shaikh, 40, for raping his minor stepdaughter aged nine, four times in one month.

A resident of Alkapuri, Nalasopara (East), Shaikh had married Wahida, a widow who had a nine-year old daughter and five-year old son from her earlier marriage. Wahida had moved in with Shaikh from her Bandra residence seven months ago.

On Thursday, Shaikh had attempted to rape the child at their home, when Wahida heard the commotion created by her daughter and saw him molest the child. Shaikh dismissed it and said they had been playing.

Later, Wahida’s daughter started crying inconsolably and recounted her nightmare to her mother.

An angry Wahida stormed to the police station and filed an FIR and also tipped off the police that Shaikh, who had fled by then, must be hiding in Bandra at her old home.

Shaikh was booked for rape, molestation and criminal intimidation under the IPC. The minor was sent to the Thane civil hospital for a medical check-up while Shaikh was produced in Thane court. He, too, was put through a medical check-up.